A friend of mine once said “Idols are for Dreamers and
Mentors are for Achievers.”
She could be right.
I’ve never really had a Mentor. I’ve had people assigned to me as Mentors at
various places of work over the years, but they were “Mentoring” me in jobs I
have never had much enthusiasm for.
Their advice assumed I really wanted to strive to be the better at what
I was doing when the truth was I didn’t give a shit.
I have Idols though.
My main Idol is Richard Branson, for a number of
reasons. He is incredibly adventurous –
with his money as well as himself. He
works hard, but for his dreams and passions, not in a job for a boss. He takes risks. He dreams big. He has persisted through failure. He is generous with his wealth in all sorts
of ways.
He does it all with a sense of fun and positivity that is
infectious.
He is unique though.
His accomplishments are so far above most people that I can look up to
them without having to commit to emulating them. They appear so unreachable that no-one would
really blame me for admiring without reaching myself. Hell, I’ve never even met the guy.
Safe.
Having a Mentor is different.
A Mentor does not have to be some kind of super man or
woman. They only need to have
experienced success in a field you want your own success in, and be prepared to
help you along the way.
Having a Mentor will require action. There is less safety than having an
Idol. There in front of you is a person
who has done what you are dreaming about – living proof that it is achievable
by mere mortals.
You are left with no excuses for not trying!
Brrrr! Scary...
I think you need both Idols and Mentors. Richard Branson gives me an insight into how
I can approach Life. Even if I never get
close to emulating his achievements, I can make it a goal to be more adventurous
with myself, take a less fearful stance on failure and identify and pursue
dreams, passions and loves.
A Mentor will help with specifics.
One friend of mine did act as a Mentor, for a short time almost
20 years ago, in a field I am interested in – Health and Fitness. He is an ex-bodybuilder who knows an enormous
amount about exercise and the body. The
advice he gave me back then still has a positive impact on how I exercise today.
If a few weeks of advice from a mate can have such a
positive influence, for such a long time, on one aspect of my life then how
advantageous will it be to find someone to encourage and guide me through
others – like earning a living doing what I love rather than just doing what I
can?
Time to find myself a good Mentor…
Possibly I remember who you were talking about (fitness mentor), his comments that stuck with me were more about work but I totally relate to them having lasting effect. In my opinion a mentor doesn't even need to have been successful in what you want to achieve (although that can be very inspiring), but you have to be confident that they understand the process you think you need to move yourself in the right direction. Sometimes what you need is experience in skills/industry/practicalities, other times it's in shifting your own mental patterns. It does come back to you though - you have to respect their advice and really apply yourself to understanding their suggestions or comments, because even if you ultimately decide you disagree, you have given it the thought etc that it warrants to make your own decision and gain greater understanding in your process.
ReplyDelete